Today I am taking part in the 2nd Birthday Blitz for Victoria Cooke's debut novel, The Secret of Falling in Love.There is also a great Giveaway for you to enter. Details on how to enter are at the foot of this post.
Lifestyle journalist and thirty-something singleton Melissa hashtags, insta's and snapchats her supposedly fabulous life on every social media platform there is.
That is until she wakes up on her birthday, another year older and still alone, wondering if for all her internet dates, love really can be found online? The challenge: go technology free for a whole month!
Forced to confront the reality of her life without its perfect filters, Melissa knows she needs to make some changes. But when she
bumps into not one, but two gorgeous men, without the use of an app, she believes there could be hope for love offline.
If only there was a way to choose the right guy for her…
My Thoughts
This is an enjoyable read that many 30 - somethings will most probably relate to. Social media and staying connected is so much part of everyday life, so it is clear that Melissa will not find it easy to be 'switched off'.At its heart though is a love story that could have been written in any decade. If you strip away today's bells and whistles, people are still the same.
I enjoyed the depiction of life in urban Manchester and later, the idyllic countryside of Scotland. Chalk and cheese the two places may be but they added to the story beautifully. With a good range of characters, some of whom added the humour and a central character, in Melissa who is both likeable and sympathetic, you breeze through the story. There are a few twists and turns to keep you entertained and rooting for Melissa, as she finds out more about her friends without the benefit of the internet.
In short: A fun weekend read.
About the Author
Victoria Cooke grew up in the city of Manchester before crossing the Pennines in pursuit of a career in education. She now lives in Huddersfield with her husband and two young daughters and when she’s not at home writing by the fire with a cup of coffee in hand, she loves working out in the gym and travelling. Victoria was first published at the tender age of eight by her classroom teacher who saw potential in a six-page story about an invisible man. Since then she’s always had a passion for reading and writing, undertaking several writers’ courses before completing her first novel, 'The Secret to Falling in Love,' in 2016.
You can read an interview with Victoria and my review of her novel, The Holiday Cruise here.
Thanks to Victoria Cooke and Rachel of Rachel's Random Resources for a copy of the book, the interview and a place on the event.
Giveaway (UK only)
Win an ARC of The Secret to Falling in Love and a box of
Belgian Truffles (UK Only). To enter, just follow the link below and good luck!
*Terms and Conditions –UK entries welcome. Please enter using the Rafflecopter box
below. The winner will be selected at
random via Rafflecopter from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter
and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then Rachel’s Random
Resources reserves the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all
entrants aged 18 or over. Any personal
data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and
will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners’
information. This will passed to the giveaway organiser and used only for
fulfilment of the prize, after which time Rachel’s Random Resources will delete
the data. I am not responsible for
despatch or delivery of the prize.
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